Donation Jar Meant For Animal Shelter Stolen

PECKVILLE — Police in Lackawanna County are looking for the bandit who made off with a donation jar meant for a local animal shelter.

Blakely police said the jar was stolen from the Discount Tobacco Shop last week.

At Griffin Pond Animal Shelter near Clarks Summit, dozens of dogs and cats are finding a temporary home. While they wait to be adopted into a loving home, the cost to care for and feed them isn’t cheap.

“Just the basics, you’re looking at vaccines, wormer, everyone knows how much flea treatment costs, and we also do microchip implants before the animals leave the shelter, along with spaying and neutering,” said Kate Andrews, adoption coordinator for Griffin Pond.

That’s why it’s so upsetting to hear that a donation jar holding roughly $1,000 meant for Griffin Pond was stolen from Discount Tobacco Shop in Peckville last Thursday.

Owner John Ciabocchi says whoever took the jar not only stole from the animals but his customers as well.

“We’re all animal lovers here and a lot of our customers are,” said Ciabocchi. “Without the customers making the donations and helping it would be a pretty tough task to accomplish.”

Volunteers at Griffin Pond say they operate strictly on donations and every dollar counts. They say the shelter is so important because it’s the only one serving both Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties.

“This is the only place a police officer can bring an animal in the middle of the night or a citizen that finds an animal,” said Andrews.

Ciabocchi has placed a new donation jar at the register inside his store. He’s just hoping whoever took the jar will do the right thing.

“It’d be nice to have him come forward, I don`t know what the chances are of that,” said Ciabocchi.

Ciabocchi said he is even offering a $500 reward for the return of the money.